Seniors Select Class Gift

Author: Emily Thaler

Last week the senior class voted to use money raised for its class gift to endow the Angels Fund and to add to the growing Community Service Fund. The results of the online referendum were close, prompting the Senior Gift Committee and Officer of Annual Giving Kristie Gonzalez '02 to put the gift money towards two of the four options presented to seniors, rather than selecting just one.
The decision to direct the senior gift to two sources resulted, in part, from the fact that only $6,000 was needed to endow the Angels Fund, one of the senior class' top choices. The rest of the money raised could therefore be directed elsewhere. Fahim Ahmed '03, member of the Senior Gift Committee, noted that the Angel's Fund endowment was a "natural choice" for the class gift, supported "by the many members of the senior class affected as freshmen by the loss" of four classmates: Anisa Gamble, Iniko Johnson, Maika Prewitt and Tiffany Holmes. The Senior class gift will ensure that the Angel's Award continues to be given out in their memory.
The rest of the money raised in the Senior Gift campaign will go into the Community Service Fund, which supports student-led volunteer organizations such as Page 1 Literacy and Community Friends, as well as service-learning projects. The gift to the Community Service Fund will boost the fund's endowment and ensure the continuation of the College's volunteer organizations.
The 2002 senior class gift was a donation to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) fund.Some of the money has already been spent on making the campus more accessible. Gonzalez said that the senior class' choice of gift "sends an important message to the administration about what students care about."
Although the goal for this year's Senior Class Gift is set at $25,000, just above last year's senior class gift of about $24,000, Gonzalez noted that they are also interested in surpassing last year's class in terms of participation. It is important for seniors to contribute to the fund, to show they have been satisfied with their last four years at Middlebury. About 80 percent of seniors contributed to the gift fund last year, and this year's committee is suggesting that seniors donate $20.03 for their class year.
The senior class is actively soliciting donations from the entire college community, from the senior administration to underclassmen. Ahmed suggested that the gifts will "strike a note with members of the entire community," particularly the contribution to the Community Service Fund, as everyone seeks to benefit from the community service programs.
The Senior Gift Committee also hopes to solicit matching donors to support the collection.
Collection for the class of '03's senior gift has already begun, with members sitting outside of the dining halls to solicit student donations.
Ahmed noted that the dining hall sit is only one of the multiple approaches the committee is taking to raise funds.
A mailing campaign is under consideration for the senior class that would make it easier for students to contribute. Seniors would receive slips in their mailbox, requiring simply their signature, student ID number and donation amount, which they would then send back to the Annual Giving Office.
The committee intends to solicit the majority of the senior class on a more personal level, hoping that members will spread word of the gift fund to their friends.
The committee will also host a class gift kick-off party in the beginning of April to get students interested in contributing. The party, to which all students are invited to attend, will include a band and will be held in the Ross dining hall.